Sociodemographic factors associated with incidence of dementia among senior citizens of a small town in Japan.

Dementia is one of the common causes that lead to dependence of senior citizens in daily living. Clarifying the features of the elderly with dementia is instrumental in planning for their effective care and support in a community, and for attempts at prevention. Our purpose was to investigate the impact of sociodemographic factors among the elderly with the presumptive diagnosis of dementia.

[A survey on smoking behavior in Hokkaido University School of Medicine, 2003].

Objective: A survey was carried out to assess smoking among students, and administration and teaching staff in Hokkaido University School of Medicine in 2003.

Methods: We conducted a questionnaire survey on smoking of undergraduates, graduate students, administration personnel and teaching staff in Hokkaido University School of Medicine in February 2003. The majority of question items were targeted for all subjects while some items were addressed separately to smokers, ex-smokers and non-smokers.

Functional status and active life expectancy among senior citizens in a small town in Japan.

The objectives of this study were to understand transition patterns and mechanisms of functional status, and to estimate active life expectancy (ALE) among senior citizens in a small town in Japan. With data drawn from surveys conducted annually from 1998 to 2002 (n=638 at baseline), prevalence and incidence of functional disability in activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) were described and compared between the sexes. Then relationships between potential predictors and functional decline through a 4-year follow-up were examined using logistic regression.

Prevention of alveolar echinococcosis--ecosystem and risk management perspectives in Japan.

We focused on the epidemiology of alveolar echinococcosis especially in Japan and discussed control measures to prevent an epidemic. No effective control measures against alveolar echinococcosis have been identified thus far because it is difficult to fully understand the ecology of the parasite and its hosts, i.e.

[Possibility of invasion of Echinococcus into Honshu with pet dogs from Hokkaido and overseas].

Purpose: The number of pet dogs moving with their owners to Honshu, the main island of Japan, from Hokkaido, and the number of dogs imported from overseas were examined, and the possibility of invasion of Echinococcus multilocularis and E. granulosus with these dogs was discussed.

Methods: The number of pet dogs moving to Honshu-island from Hokkaido was examined with the movement notifications based on the Rabies Prevention Act in 29 prefectures during the period from 1996 to 2001.

[WHO's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control potential impact on tobacco control in Japan].

Objective: The objective of the paper are to introduce the current global tobacco control measures undertaken by WHO and other international organizations, and to describe the impact on domestic tobacco control in Japan.

Methods: Publications and documents, mainly for WHO, were reviewed especially with reference to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).

Results: WHO has been promotion comprehensive tobacco control globally as well as regionally in order to assist and promote its national health policy.

[From a view of the wheelchair users--a training report of the students on barrier-free environment in Sapporo].

This short report describes what we learned from our training session on the use of the wheelchair in the various parts of Sapporo City. The session was conducted in July 2000 as one of the public health field training programs for fourth-year medical students of Hokkaido University School of Medicine. We, as a set of 5 people with the wheelchair, actually toured the street, subways, big department stores, banks, and other public facilities and buildings to assess their social and physical environment in a context of barrier-free society, so that some suggestions may be given to the City for the development of an appropriate welfare system.

[How can we prevent alveolar echinococcosis? Ecosystem and risk management viewpoints].

Purpose: This article focuses on understanding epidemiological features of alveolar echinococcosis and discussing its prevention and control, especially from a viewpoint of the ecosystem and risk management.

Method: Publications on alveolar echinococcosis throughout the world were systematically reviewed with special reference to ecology, epidemiology and countermeasures.

Results: Alveolar echinococcosis, caused by accidental infection with larva of the parasite Echinococcus multilocularis is fatal to humans unless diagnosed at an early stage.